Yard Inspections 2022
Yard Inspections
Starting November 7, 2022
Yard inspections will start the week of November 7, 2022, post Fall Clean-up (November 5-6, 2022). The inspection will check to ensure all residents are keeping their household yard/garden beds neat and weed-free. Maintaining clean and clear yards/gardens is on-going requirement to fulfill throughout growing season, typically April to October.
Please follow the guidelines below to ensure you do not receive a yard fee (of the Clutter and Debris Responsibility) during the inspection, which can apply to each infraction (such a fee per each unmaintained garden bed of your unit).
Check front and back door for notification, provided after your yard inspection if your there was something found needing correction.
1. Remove all weeds from your front and back gardens
All 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom units must keep their gardens maintained in a neat and weed free manner. This also applies to one-bedroom units, which share the responsibility with the building.
- Borrow tools, such as hoes and rakes, from the office or a Community Garden Plot site.
- Fast and Easy Weeding Tips
- Is this plant a weed?
- Remove weeds that are on Minnesota Noxious Weed List.
- Additional weed identification: U of MN Extension.
2. Collect weeds in preparation for disposal
- Bags makes it easier to dispose of the weeds later, as well as to avoid the weeds re-rooting themselves again in your garden.
NO bags can be put into the compost; bags or other containers only used as carriers to dump the weeds into the compost bins, as outlined in next step.
3. Drop weeds into the compost bins located at the community garden sites
- Dump bag in compost bin at one of five community garden plot locations.
- Do not place bag or carrying device into the compost bin
- What can be put into CTC's compost? What cannot?
Update (November 2022):Our co-op’s compost bins are closed until further notice. During this time, the bins are only accepting plant debris/trimmings (grass, garden weeds, leaves, small twigs). Please do not discard anything other than plant trimmings into the bins while closed (especially NO household food scraps!). Visit umnctc.org/compost for full details and updates. |
4. Clear and organize the remainder of your yard
In addition to removing and properly disposing all the weeds in your gardens, complete the following to ensure you fully pass the inspection:
- Organize storage shed: place all items inside, remove items from top of shed
- Remove and/or dispose of non-yard items (i.e. indoor chairs, sofas, microwaves, T.V.s, interior tables etc.)
- Pick up trash: clean yard area free of garbage
- Clear lawn area for mowers: be sure to move unused yard items (bikes, tables, chairs, grills) free of the lawn area for the mowers to pass all grass areas front and back
Clutter and Debris Policy
Responsibility for All Units + All Year
Read more on the Clutter and Debris Responsibility, pertaining all units to adhere to throughout the year to avoid any fees. We appreciate all of your work with continuous improvements to the safety and appearance of the CTC property.
Unit Garden Bed/Planter Policy
2020 Update
Please see updated planting policy for 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units.
Tagging for "Claim Day"
Historically in the late summer or fall, there will be a "Claim Day" throughout the co-op grounds as a way for CTC to determine which outdoor items belong to individuals that no longer live at CTC/or are no longer desired by current CTC residents. CTC Maintenance will tag personal belongings in public spaces with a tie tag. Items that will be tagged include bikes, grills and toys near or on bike racks around one bedroom buildings and near the Phase IV buildings. No items directly behind two bedroom splits or phase IV will be tagged.
If anything you own has a tag on it, go write your name and address on the tag and leave the tag on until the provided deadline (announced with event). If no tag is placed on any of your possessions at all within the claiming period, then your object is safe and will not be removed.
